Box Score SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — In a must-win situation to keep alive its hopes of qualifying for the inaugural Pacific West Conference Tournament at Azusa Pacific University March 7-9, the Dominican University of California women's basketball team let a victory slip away on Saturday night.

Kimi Nakamura scored eight of her team-high 13 points in the second half and teammates Stephanie Carnes and Salonika Quewon-Owens combined to net 13 of their 20 points after intermission but the Penguins lost an 11-point lead and bowed to Holy Names 70-66 in the Conlan Center. Dominican didn't record another field goal after Nakamura scored to put the Lady Penguins ahead 63-52 with 6:32 to play.

Lauren Hyatt added nine points and nine rebounds while Quewon-Owens, a 5-foot-8 guard, grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, 29 for her last two games and 49 in her last five contests.

The defeat eliminated Dominican (5-20/4-13), which had rallied from an eight-point deficit in the second half against the Hawks (13-12/7-9), from contention to catch BYU-Hawaii for the sixth and final berth in the tourney.  The Lady Penguins had been playing some of their best basketball of the season the past week but six crucial turnovers and six missed free throws in the final five minutes allowed the Hawks to regain the lead with 1:46 to go.

“We put ourselves in position to have success in the last two games,” said Head Coach Brianna Chambers. “We need to play all 40 minutes.”

The Lady Penguins appeared on the verge of avenging a bitter 77-74 loss at Holy Names on Dec. 1. Trailing by eight points in the second half, the Lady Penguins came alive as freshman Julia Brew came off the bench to net five quick points followed by a Nakamura trey that tied the game at 42-42.

Then, with 15:13 to play, Dominican took its first lead since the 18:37 mark of the first half and the Lady Penguins went on a 10-0 tear fueled by four points apiece by Quewon-Owens and Carnes, who finished with 11 points. Two free throws by Hyatt with 11:50 to go pushed the Lady Penguins in front 56-46.

Defensively, Dominican's hustling, scrappy defense kept the Lady Penguins within striking range but Holy Names' ability to run the fastbreak well proved to be the difference in the first half.  The Lady Penguins limited Hawks scoring star Britney Postesio, first in the PacWest in made three-pointers, to one two-point field goal in the first half, but Holy Names grabbed 12 offensive rebounds to Dominican's six to take a 37-31 advantage to the locker room at halftime.

Nakamura and Carnes will play the last game of their Dominican careers next Saturday, March 2, on Senior Night in the Conlan Center.  Those two Lady Penguins will honored in a pre-game ceremony prior to their 5:30 p.m. tipoff against Academy of Art University. Live coverage will be available at www.dominicanathletics.com/live.